Camouflage fabricating machine



Feb. 22, 1944. w. E. MEYER CAMOUFLAGE FABRICATING MACl'iINE Filed June 18 1942- 3 Sheets- Sheet 1 45 4117 E Meyer:

9 e, A ITORNEYS CAMOUFLAGE FABRICATING MACHINE Filed June 18 1942 4 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 22, 1944.

W. E. MEYER CAMOUFLAGE FABRICATING MACHINE Filed June 18, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR mllzam 227/ 78 BY M Q ATTOYQ Patented Feb. 22, 1944 CAMOUFLAGE FABRICATING MACHINE William E. Meyer, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Parker-Wolverine Company, Detroit, Mich a corporation of Michigan Application June 18, 1942, Serial No. 447,602

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to machines for fabricating camouflage, and particularly to machines for depositing and securing a fibrous material, such as steel Wool, onto a wire mesh backing member.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide a fabricating machine of the type mentioned by which camouflage may be quickly fabricated in large quantities.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following specification, the draw.- ings relating thereto, and the claims hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, in which like numerals are used to designate like parts in the several views throughout;

Figure 1 is a broken side elevational view of a camouflage fabricating machine embodying features of the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, perspective view of I a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1 illustrating the stapling and feeding mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View, taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig, 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-'5 of 'Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the camouflage formed by the apparatus of the present invention.

According to the present invention a fibrous material is superimposed on a wire mesh and is secured thereto. illustrated, steel wool is the fibrous material em ployed, but it is to be understood that other fibrous materials may be used within the scope of the present invention. The wire mesh having the fibrous material secured thereto is coiled into rolls. Such rolls may then be bonderized and thereafter painted. In some instances the wire mesh and the steel wool are bonderized prior to the fabrication by the present machine. The present invention is particularly concerned with the machine for depositing and securing the steel wool to the wire mesh.

Referring to the drawing an longated table support is generally indicated at In. A mountns fra nerally indica ed at H is di p sed adjacent one end of, the table support In. A roll of wire mesh 14 is rotatably mounted on a transverse shaft l6 which is s pported in suitable bearings mounted on the frame I! in the lower portion thereof, Such wire mesh in the embodi.

In the apparatus particularly ment illustrated is in the form of ordinary chicken wire.

A pluralityofother pivot shafts l8 are moun ed to the frame l2 on-suitable bearings or hangers secured thereto. Such shafts [8 are adapted to have pivotally mounted thereon a plurality of rolls 2!] of strips of steel wool 22. Such rolls 20 are disposed on the several shafts [8 in such a fashion that when the strips 22 of steel wool are unwound therefrom such wool substantially covers the support in and the wire mesh l4 transversely thereof. As the strips 22 are unwound from the rolls 20 certain of them are disposed around guides 24 which are mounted on the frame 12 and which are so disposed that the strands 22 pass without interference with each other to and between feed rollers 26 and 28.

In being passed to the feed rollers 25 and 28 such strands 22 are guided and kept in proper transverse relationship by upwardly projecting guide fingers 30. Such guide fingers 30 are spaced from each other substantially the width of the strips v22 and receive the strips therebetween so that such strips form a substantially continuous sheet of steel wool transversely of the wire mesh in passing between the feed rolls. It will be appreciated that there are provided the same number of rolls 2!! as there are spaces between the uide fingers 30, so that the steel wool forms thecontinuous sheet.

The upper feed roll 28 is an idler roller and is mounted for vertical adjustment within a suitable frame so that it may be adjusted toward and from the driven feed roller 26 so as to apply the proper feed pressure on the strips 22. The feed roller 26 is a driven roller and is mounted upon a drive shaft having a gear keyed thereto. The driving gear is driven through a suitable electric motor 32 which is operatively connected to a variable speed reducer 34. Such speed re clucer 34 has :a drive gear thereon which is cchnected to the drive gear for the roll 26 through a drive chain 36. It will thus be appreciated that the strips of steel wool 22 are fed toward the support 10 in superimposed relation to the wire mesh 14. i

The wire mesh I4 is disposed on the table It) and is moved therealong by a means to be described hereinafter. The strips 22 drop downwardly between the supporting frame 12 and the support I 0 and are continuously fedto such space. The steel wool and the mesh M are intermittently moved along the table l0 and the sagging of the steel wool strips within the space permits such intermittent movement'along the support. In

rder to maintain proper tension in the strips 2 and to insure their lying against the wire mesh it, a pipe or rod 38 is disposed in the trough of the sag in strips 22, It will be appreciated that such rod 38 rides in the trough as the strips are intermittently fed along the table iii.

The mesh !4 having the strips of steel wool 22 superimposed thereon are fed along the table it by means of a reciprocating clamp generally indicated at 41! Such reciprocating feed clamp 4c is best shown in Figures 4 and 5. The feed it comprises a reciprocating frame having side members 52 connected together, by transverse members 44 and 46. The members &4 and 46 are disposed above the table I and rollers 48 are pivotally mounted to the side members 42 and are adapted to roll along trackways t mounted on the table It longitudinally thereof.

The reciprocating frame 42 carries a clamp which includes the transverse member 46 forming the underside of the clamp, and an upper transverse member 52. The member 4-6 has a pair of transversely extending, continuous projections 54 formed on the upper surface thereof, and the upper member 52 has three depending similar projections 56 formed thereon. Projections 54 and 55 are so disposed with respect to each other that the projections 54 are adapted to be received between .the adjacent projections 56. When the members 46 and 52 are in clamping position the projections assume the position shown in Fig. 5 so that the strips 22 and mesh hi are clamped therebetween with such firmness that the strips and mesh may be moved along the table it as the carriage is moved in one direction. The edges of the projections 54 and 55 are round and such projections are continuous so that they do not catch onthe wire mesh or the steel wool as the clamping elements are moved with respect thereto..

The upper member 52 has a transverse member 58 secured to the top surface thereof, and such members 52 and 58 are secured at their ends to pivot arms Gil. Such pivot arms 89 are disposed at the sides of the table It] and are pivotally connected to the. side members 32 of the reciprocating frame through upstandingbrackets 62 and pivot pins 64.

The leading ends of the arms 60 areso shaped that they lie substantially horizontal when the members 45 and 52 are in their clamping position. The arms 60 are pivoted about the pivot pins 64 in order to move the members 46 and 52 to clamping and releasing positions by means of an air cylinder 63. Such air cylinder 66 is mounted to a frame having sidemembers 62 connected by a transverse member ID. The side members 68 are secured to the side members 42 of the reciprocating carriage so that the mounting frame for the cylinder iifi reciprocates with such carriage. The upper end of the air cylincler 55 is pivotally connected to the member ill substantially midway between the ends thereof by means of a pivot pin 72. A piston rod i4 projects through the cap end of the cylinder 66 and is pivotally connected to a mounting plate it, which is secured to the members 52 and 58 substantially midway between the ends thereof. Air ports are provided in the upper and lower ends of the cylinder 56 on opposite sides of the piston, in the usual way, for. reciprocating the piston rod 74 to raise and lower the clamping member 52.

An air conduit 78 communicates with the lower port, and an air conduit BIJcommunicates with the upper air port. Such conduits 18 are mounted to one of the frame members (58 and have flexible conduits 82 and 84 connected thereto through suitable connectors.

The conduits 82 and 84 communicate with the opposite ends of a conventional air reversing valve 86, which is mounted upon a frame member 83 of the table lil under the reciprocating feed carriage. An inlet port is provided in the valve 85 in the usual way, and an air conduit 95 communicates with such inlet port and also communicates with a suitable source of air pressure (not shown). The valve is reversed by an upstanding finger or lever 92, which is disposed in the path of a pair of depending reversing fingers 94 and 96, which are mounted on one of the side members 42 of the reciprocating feed carriage.

It will thus be appreciated that as the feed carriage moves in one direction, the finger 94 shifts the valve through the operating arm 92 to admit air under pressure to the conduit 82. When air under pressure enters conduit 82, it passes through the lower port in cylinder 66 to raise the piston rod 14 and to move the clamping member 52 to its releasing position. When the carriage moves in the opposite direction, the finger 96 engages the member 92 to shift the valve to admit fluid under pressure to the conduit 84, which passes into the upper port in cylinder 66 to move the clamp downwardly to its clamping position.

The feed carriage is reciprocated through con necting arms Hll disposed adjacent the side frame members 42 and pivotally connected thereto by means of pivot pins 582-. The opposite ends of such arms are pivotally connected to a crank arm I04 through pivot pins 18%. The crank arms m are keyed to a transverse shaft I08, which is mounted within suitable bearings on the frame member 88. A drive gear H6 is geared to such shaft [$8. The drive gear HE] is driven by a suitable electric motor H2 through a variable speed reducer I I4, having a drive gear H6 associated therewith. Such drive gear H6 drives the gear H0 through a chain drive I I3.

It will thus be appreciated that as the gear Ill] is driven, the crank arms I04 are caused to rotate and, through the connecting. arms It], the carriage is caused to reciprocate. The fingers 94 and 96 are, of course, positioned on the reciprocating frame, so that they engage the shifting lever 92 at the ends of the stroke of the feed carriage. When the reciprocating carriage reaches the end of the stroke, to the left, viewing Figure 4, the clamp 52, is moved downwardly to its clamping position. The carriage then moves toward the right, viewing'Figure 4, to pull the .mesh I4. and strips 22 therealong. When the carriage reaches the end of its stroke in that direction, the valve 86 is reversed to move the clamp 52 upwardly to its releasing position. The carriage is then returned to the left, with the clamp 52 in such releasing position, until it reaches the end of its stroke in thatdirection, when the cycle is repeated.

Prior to the engagement of the mesh and steel wool strips by the reciprocating feed'clamp, the steel wool is secured to the wire mesh transversely thereof. Such securing means is generally indicated at I20, and includes a framework comprising unstanding members I22 having cross members 124 secured thereto above the table it. The securing means includes a plurality of conventional stapling mechanisms I26 having the usual feed magazine pivoted adjacent the rear end onto a cross-plate I28, which extends transversely of the table and is mounted to frame members in spaced relation to the upper surface of the table so that the steel wool passes there under. The stapling members handle the usual U-shaped staples which are fed out of the leading ends of the pivoted arms of the stapling mechanism so that as such arms strike the transverse die I30 the staples are emitted from the magazines and clamped around the steel wool and the strands of the mesh I4.

A roundedrod, or pipe, I32 is fixed to the top of the table I adjacent the die I30, so that the material being stapled passes thereover without catching. The pivoted arms I26 of the stapling mechanisms are connected in groups to transverse bars I34. Such bars I34 are connected to the depending piston rods I36 of air cylinders I38. The connections between the bars I34 and the arms I26 are such that the arms I26 are first moved downwardly into engagement with the bars I30; and then further downward movement of the bars I34 emits the stapling clips and clamps them about the steel wool and the wire mesh. This is the usual operation of the conventional stapling mechanisms.

The cylinders I38 have the usual air ports on opposite sides of the piston, and are provided with the usual conduits leading to'a common reversing valve. Such valve may be similar to the valve 86, and has an air (pressure port leading to a suitable source of air pressure. The operating lever for the valve in the embodiment illustrated is hand operated, and such valve is operated to effect the stapling operation at the time that the clamp of the feed carriage is in its releasing position, so that the wire mesh is stationary on the table. The steel wool is thus clamped at spaced intervals thereacross to the wire mesh prior to its engagement bythe reciprocating feed clamp.

After the mesh and steel wool leave the feed carriage, the steel wool and Wire mesh are further secured together by hand by transversely extending wires I40. Such wires I40 are applied by a longitudinally curved, transversely flat needle I42. The wires I40 are of predetermined length, corresponding to the width of the camouflage strip, and one end of each of the Wires is attached to a needle I42. By moving the needle transversely of the camouflage and moving the point up and down, the wire will be threaded above the steel wool and under the wire mesh, as best shown in Figure 6. The ends of the wire are then twisted about the edges of the wire mesh, so that such wires are held in position. The wires, of course, may be applied at suitable intervals along the camouflage.

The camouflage, consisting of the mesh I4 with the steel wool secured thereto, leaves the table I0 and is received by a coiling mechanism, generally indicated at I44. Such coiling mechanism I44 includes a mounting frame adapted to have a coiling shaft I46 removably mounted thereon. The camouflage is received on the coiling means by the guide bars I48, and the leading end thereof may be wrapped around the shaft I46. The shaft I46 is, of course, rotated to coil a predetermined amount of camouflage thereon, and during the period of rotation the camouflage is continuously wound. However, it is intermittently fed to the coiling mechanism and the camouflage sags in the space between the table I0 and the coiling frame.

The shaft 146, when it is positioned on the frame, .is operatively connected to a drive gear, which is driven by an electric motor I50 through a variable speed reducer I52 and through a chain drive I54.

.In order to control the coil on the shaft I46, in accordance with the feed to the coiling machine, arod or pipe I56 is disposed in the trough Of theisag i portion of the camouflage between table I0a=nd the coiling mechanism I 34. As the camouflage is intermittently fed to the space, the trough will, of course, move up and down.

The rod I55 serves to keep the camouflage ina proper taut condition and also to control the operation of the motor I50. To control such operation, a pair of pivot arms I58 are pivotally connected to the rod I56 at opposite ends thereof; and the opposite ends of the arm I50 are pivotally connected by pivot pins I60 to depending brackets secured to the coiling frame.

A conventional mercury switch IE2 is fixed to one of the arms I58 and is connected to the motor 50 through suitable electric lines I64. The switch I62 is of such a construction that the rod I56 moves upwardly and pivots the arms I58 upwardly; and when the arms reach a predetermined position, the switch I52 is tilted to cut 01? the motor I 50. When the intermittent feed is such that the camouflage sags downwardly to a predetermined point, the arms I58 drop downwardly and the switch IE2 is tilted to make the circuit and operate the motor I50 to cause rotation of the shaft I46 to coil the camouflage. When a predetermined amount of camouflage has been coiled, the camouflage is cut transversely thereof, by scissors, in the space between the guide rods I48 and the coiling shaft Mt.

Suitable flattening or ironing rolls may be disposed on top of the camouflage at suitable places along the table, so as to iron it out as it passes along the table. For example, one of such ironing bars is shown at I10 prior to the entrance of the camouflage material to the stapling mechanism I20. Thus, the camouflage passes between the bar I10 and the table I0, and such bar serves to flatten or smooth out the steel wool prior to the stapling operation.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for fabricating camouflage, an elongated support, rotatable means mounting a roll of wire mesh adjacent one end of said support, means mounting a plurality of individual rolls of fibrous material above said first-named means and transversely spaced across said support, spaced guide fingers disposed transversely of said support between which the fibrous material from the individual rolls passes to distribute the fibrous material transversely of said wire mesh, means disposing said mesh and fibrous material on said elongated support with said fibrous material superimposed on said mesh, means for securing said fibrous material to said mesh, means for moving said fibrous material and mesh along said elongated support, and coiling means for receiving and coiling said fibrous material and said mesh.

2. In a machine for fabricating camouflage, an elongated support, means rotatably mounting a roll of wire mesh adjacent one end of said support, means mounting a plurality of individual rolls of fibrous material above said first-named means, said rolls of fibrous material being spaced transversely of said support so that said wire mesh is substantially covered by said fibrous material, spaced guide fingers disposed transversely of said support between which the fibrous material from the individual rolls passes, means disposing said mesh and said fibrous material on said elongated support with said fibrous material superimposed on said mesh, stapling means for stapling said fibrous material to said mesh, said disposing means comprising a reciprocating clamp disposed transversely of said elongated support and adapted to clamp said fibrous material and mesh transversely thereof and to move said fibrous material and said mesh along said elongated support, and coiling means for receiving and coiling said fibrous material and mesh.

3. In a machine for fabricating camouflage, an elongated support, means for rotatably mounting a roll of wire mesh adjacent one end of said sunport, means mounting a supply of fibrous material above said first-named means and transversely of said support, means disposing said mesh and fibrous material on said elongated support with said fibrous material superimposed on said mesh, means for securing said fibrous material to said mesh, said disposing means comprising a pair of superimposed and transverse clamping plates for clamping said fibrous material and said mesh and for moving said fibrous material and said mesh along said elongated support, the facing surfaces of said plates having complementary grooves and recesses formed therein, and coiling means for receiving and coiling said fibrous material and ,said mesh.

WILLIAM E. MEYER. 

